Lijiang Old Town

UNESCO World Heritage Site (Old Town Of Lijiang, 1997); National 5A Tourist Attraction · Lijiang, Yunnan

A maze of cobbled lanes, arched stone bridges and wooden Naxi houses threaded by clear canals fed from the Black Dragon Pool, set at about 2,400 m beneath the 5,596-metre Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in northwestern Yunnan. Dayan old town grew over some eight centuries as a trading post on the Tea Horse Road, ruled by the Mu family whose rebuilt palace still stands, and it survived a major earthquake in 1996 to be inscribed, with nearby Baisha and Shuhe, as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997. Naxi culture lives on in the Dongba pictographic script, ancient Naxi music and local food, though the lanes are now lined with guesthouses, shops and loud bars. Early mornings, when the canals steam and the lanes are empty, show its old character best.

Dayan Old Town, Gucheng District, Lijiang, Yunnan, China

The old town is open at all hours. Mu Mansion, Wangu Tower and museums keep daytime hours, roughly 8:00-18:00. The 50-yuan maintenance fee applies to independent travellers.

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